April 18, 2007
WAKKA ? WAKKA ? WAKKA
Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI Create Video Game History With First-Ever Xbox 360 ?Pac-Man?? World Championship
?Pac-Man? fans to compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade for chance to be world?s best ?Pac-Man? player.
NEW YORK April 18, 2007 Microsoft Corp. and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. today made video game history by announcing the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship, presented by Quiznos. From April 25 to May 9, fans of one of the world's most beloved video games of all time will compete on the classic arcade game via Xbox LIVE Arcade on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, evolving Pac-Man gameplay from the local pizza parlors and arcades of the '80s to the Xbox 360 and its online gaming community with more than 6 million members. The top finalists from participating countries around the world will be flown to New York City for the finals on June 5, with the winner being crowned the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion by Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man.
Since launching in 1980 in Japan and in 1981 around the world, Pac-Man, its host of ghosts and the famous "wakka wakka wakka" sound have become global pop culture icons. This arcade game played an instrumental role in establishing the video game industry in the '80s, while the launch of Xbox LIVE in 2002 was a key factor behind the rapid growth in popularity of online gaming. Today, Xbox LIVE Arcade is the premier online destination for digitally distributed, high-definition games, with more than 25 million downloads, offering fans of Pac-Man across the globe a great opportunity to connect, compete and enjoy the fun through the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship.
"NAMCO BANDAI Games and I are proud to partner with Microsoft on the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship, which celebrates how popular Pac-Man remains to this day," said Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man and currently a professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University. "The success of Pac-Man stems from its fun gameplay and host of characters that have been enjoyed by families for generations. It will be exciting to see Pac-Man fans from around the world compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade to become the first-ever Pac-Man World Champion."
"Pac-Man reached an iconic status in the '80s across multiple generations and cultures, so the Xbox 360 ?Pac-Man? World Championship provides a great incentive for fans old and new to fall in love with the game all over again," added Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "We are thrilled to be partnering with NAMCO BANDAI Games and our sponsor, Quiznos, to invite Pac-Man players from around the globe to join in the fun."
A total of nine finalists in the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship will advance to the finals based upon the highest Xbox LIVE Arcade leaderboard scores. There will be one finalist from each of the following countries and geographic areas: Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Mexico; and two finalists from Europe and the United States. This group will also be joined by the winner of the Pac-Man FANatic contest, a competition that will encourage Pac-Man fans from the United States and Canada to submit a video that demonstrates why they are the ultimate Pac-Man fan. The winning entry will be flown to New York as a wildcard entrant in the final round of the tournament. Details are available online at http://www.uptilt.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=j4e,ro8l,1c28,9jnc,dh10,jnmq,m0hq starting April 25, 2007.
The Xbox 360 ?Pac-Man? World Champion will receive worldwide acclaim from being the first-ever Xbox 360 ?Pac-Man? World Champion and gain a place in gaming history. The winner of the finals will also receive other great prizes, including 26 years of free Quiznos toasted subs (one sandwich a week for 26 years, a $13,520 (U.S.) value), 100,000 Microsoft Points for games, movies and other fun content available on Xbox LIVE, and a one-of-a-kind Xbox 360 featuring a special design inspired by Pac-Man.
?Great food and entertainment go hand in hand, and we expect international gamers to connect with Quiznos food with the same passion that they bring to their gaming,? said Steve Provost, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Quiznos. The Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship promises to be a milestone moment in video game history, and we're thrilled that we can help make it into a reality.
Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship, Presented by Quiznos
Participation Information and Timeline:
